When Chickens Fly
by totallynotachicken
Summary: when Tuffnut starts trying to get Chicken to fly, Hiccup tells him they can't. Tuffnut doesn't agree. set in RTTE


It was a dull afternoon and the Dragon Riders were all lounging in the clubhouse. Fishlegs and Heather were playing Maces and Talons, Astrid was sharpening her axe, Hiccup was working on a new design for his sword, Snotlout was lying on his back in the middle of the floor, and Tuffnut was trying to coax Chicken to fly with Ruffnut watching in anticipation from where she sat on the floor.

"Come on, Chicken! You got this!" Tuffnut encouraged his pet. Chicken just stared at him, narrowing her eyes and giving an occasional bawk. "Remember, you must _be_ the one with the wind!" he closed his eyes and demonstrated flapping his arms around and jumping. His landings caused vibrations and knocked over a few of the pieces on Fishlegs board.

"Hey!" Fishlegs frowned at his friend. "Quite hopping around, you keep bumping over the pieces!"

"Well that's a sacrifice you'll have to be willing to make so Chicken can learn to fly." Commented Tuff.

"Yeah," Ruffnut nodded her head and smirked at the Gronckle riding Viking. Fishlegs let out a half huff, half frustrated whine and went back to his game, placing the pieces back upright.

"Okay, Chicken. Now you try." Tuffnut looked at her and grinned. Chicken, not interested at all, squinted her eyes and promptly walked away, her head held high.

"Wait, no!" Tuffnut cried out after Chicken and sank to his knees dramatically. "Don't do this to me! I'm trying to help you!"

Hiccup and the others glanced at the devastated Tuffnut.

"Don't you want to be able to fly? To join me in battle, and fight till death by my side?" asked Tuffnut, still being ignored by Chicken.

"Uh, Tuffnut?" Hiccup called to him.

"Yes?" Tuffnut tearfully looked to Hiccup, eyes full of hope.

"You know chickens can't fly, right?"

Both twins gaped at the comment, shocked beyond shocked.

"What, no! That can't be," Ruffnut exclaimed. Tuffnut narrowed his eyes and his eyebrows knitted together. He slowly stood up, not averting his gaze from the one legged boy. "Now you listen to me, my muscular challenged friend. Chicken, can do whatever she wants, be whoever she wants."

Ruffnut brought a hand up to cover her bittersweet smile, Chicken who was walking away, stopped and turned around, Astrid raised an eyebrow, Fishlegs and Heather abandoned her game, Snotlout lifted his head up from the floor as best he could, and Hiccup looked a bit confused.

"Chicken," Tuffnut went on. "Is the most loyal, honest, brave, pretty, and insane girl I have ever met!" Tuffnut exclaimed and Ruff shot her brother a warning glance.

"She's cunning and daring and adventurous and all that kind of stuff and more."

"I'm not saying she isn't, I'm just sa-"

Saying, what?" Tuffnut poised the question and didn't give any time for anybody to answer. "Saying she can't do something other birds can do?"

"That's exactly what he saying, Muttonhead!" Snotlout yelled from the floor. Tuffnut frowned at him and turned back to a very confused Hiccup. "Are you saying that she can't have dreams? Can't try something new?"

Hiccup shook his head no. "Wha- no, I'm-"

"I'm not finished," Tuffnut put up a hand to silence him, then continued, making sure to look every one of his fellow Riders in the eye. "We all have dreams. All of us. And I say it's perfectly awesome to have them. Dreams," Tuffnut paused. "Dreams define who we are."

Ruffnut nodded, too emotional to speak. Chicken waddled closer.

"So who's to say that we can't at least try to make them come true? Who's to say that we can't fulfill our wishes, no matter how flabbergasting they might sound or how many turtles we kill to make it happen?"

"Kill turtles?" Astrid asked.

Tuff then pointed to Chicken. "Chicken here, is trying to fulfill a dream she's had for years! Why should we let a little thing like physics, logic, and gravity get in her way?"

Fishlegs glanced at Tuff incredulously, his mouth opening as if to say something, but then thought better of it and closed it.

"Why do we discriminate when we could be encouraging?"

"Cause it takes less effort." called Snotlout.

The male Zippleback rider ignored the comment. "We should try to help those in need."

Ruffnut nodded.

"Give them strength to keep on," Tuffnut said. His sister shouted a passionate 'yes' and leeped to her feet.

"And help them cross the finish line of accomplishment!"

Ruffnut clapped her hands vigorously and Chicken squawked in delight. The others, except for Snotlout, gave awkward claps and Tuffnut soaked it in for all it was worth and bowed. "Thank you, thank you."

Snotlout rolled his eyes and face palmed.

Chicked raced up to Tuffnut and bashfully bawked at him. He smiled down at her and picked her up. "Ssh, my little Chicken. There is nothing to apologize for. Now, let's go practice flying outside." With that, they waltzed out of the clubhouse and marched away out of view, Ruffnut followed behind them, telling her twin what an amazing and moving speech he had said.

The rest of the Riders just stared at one another in stunned silence for a few moments.

"Who knew Tuff could tell such good, if not bizarre, speeches," Heather announced and Fishlegs nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, who knew he had it in him?" Astrid finished sharpening her axe and set it down on a table next to her.

"Well, I thought it was stupid," Snotlout stated.

Astrid and Heather rolled their eyes. "You're just jealous that you didn't come up with it yourself," the dark haired girl frowned.

"I am not," Snotlout denied and crossed his arms.

"Oh stop pouting, you big baby," Astrid said.

All of a sudden there was a shout outside and mere seconds later, Tuffnut and Ruffnut came rushing in in a panic.

"Hey, where's the fire?" Hiccup inquired.

"Hiccup, quick question." Tuffnut panted. "Can chickens swim?"

"Um… I don't think so, why?"

Both twins looked at each other in horror and then raced back outside, with Tuffnut screaming; "Don't worry, Chicken! I'll save you!"

"I knew she wasn't ready to be thrown off that cliff!" Ruffnut yelled after him.

The rest of the Dragon Riders looked to one another.

"Should we help them?" Fishlegs asked.

"Why? They seem to get into trouble just fine on their own," Snotlout snorted.

"Come on," Astrid jogged out the door with everyone else, Snotlout reluctantly included, pursuing after.


End file.
